Britain
:This country is a part of Altverse. : Gymanwlad Britannia |name = Britannia |image_flag = Flag of the Commonwealth of Britannia.png |image_coat = 600px-Coat of Arms of the Protectorate (1653–1659).svg.png |common_name = Commonwealth of Britannia |national_motto = Strength to the People |national_anthem = |image_map = Great Britain (orthographic projection).svg.png |map_caption = Location of Britain |capital = London |capital_type = Capital and largest city |latd = 51 |latm = 30 |latNS = N |longd = 0 |longm = 7 |longEW = W |official_languages = |regional_languages = , , , , |ethnic_groups = |demonym = British |government_type = |leader_title1 = Paramount Leader |leader_name1 = Robert Matthews |leader_title2 = Prime Minister |leader_name2 = Eric Victor (SP) |legislature = Parliament |upper_house = House of State |lower_house = House of the People ||established_event1 = Acts of Union 1699 |established_date1 = May 1st, 1699 |established_event2 = Workers Revolution |established_date2 = 7th January 1981- 18st January 1980 |established_event3 = Socialist Manifesto of the Commonwealth |established_date3 = 12th September 1989 |area_km2 = 189395 |area_rank = 83rd |area_sq_mi = 84,127 |GDP_nominal = $2.559 trillion |GDP_nominal_year = 2013 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $44,273 |Gini = 28.9 |Gini_category = low |HDI = 0.899 |HDI_year = 2014 |HDI_category = very high |HDI_rank = 11th |currency = |currency_code = £ |time_zone = |utc_offset = +0 |utc_offset_DST = +1 |time_zone_DST = |date_format = dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |population_estimate = 57,800,000 |population_estimate_year = 2015 |drives_on = left |cctld = .gb |calling_code = +44 |patron_saint = (England) (Scotland) (Wales)}} The Commonwealth of Britannia more commonly known as Britannia, is a sovereign state consisting of the three countries on the isle of , those being England, Scotland, and Wales as well as several smaller islands along with fifteen overseas territories. A fourth constituent country, Northern Ireland is located on the island of Ireland. One special administrative regions exist within the Commonwealth, that being the . It has boarders is with Westland and the , otherwise being surrounded by the . The relationships among the countries of the Commonwealth have changed over time. In 927 the unification of Wessex, Kent and Sussex created the Kingdom of Westland. Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England in 1543. In 1699 England, Scotland and France unified as Britannia-France becoming the worlds dominant imperialist power. The French revolution and the Napoleonic wars meant that Britannian sovereignty lessened substantially over France in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. In 1922 Ireland rebelled against Britannian rule forming the Republic of Ireland. In 1918 following the First World War the prime minister of Britannia-France, Georges Clemenceau, successfully enabled France to secede from the Union creating the French Revolution in its place. In 1919 a workers revolution swept through the country that saw the overthrow of the dictatorial Lord Protector and the creation of a democratic socialist state. Committed to an early form of socialism the new government created a large welfare state in Britannia. During WWII the government led by Winston Churchill successfully fought against the Nazi's. After the war Britannia started to democratise declaring neutrality in the Cold War wishing to maintain its status as a socialised democratic state. Many of its colonies were granted independence as the government started to further reforms making Britannia into a mixed economy that balanced out a booming private sector with an expansive state maintained one. Currently Britannia operates under a . Britannia is ranked as a as well as being a having a large economy. Once possessing an empire covering a quarter of the globe Britannia has a large influence with its language and culture prevalent around the world. Britannia whilst no longer the superpower it was in the 19th century is still one of the most powerful nations politically, culturally, scientifically, militarily, and economically. It is part of the League of Nations currently holding a permanent seat on the security council s well as being a leading member of , the , , , , , and the IOSS. Etymology Britannia comes from the Roman occupation of the island, deriving from the Greek words Prettanike or Brettaniai, and the term used to describe the natives of the islands (Britons). History Norman Invasion (1066) In 1066 the kingdom of England was ruled by Saxon king ruled over the Kingdom of England and Westland, but his rule was challenged by the French nobleman and Norwegian king . William was reportedly promised the throne by Godwinsons predecessor Edward the Confessor while Hardrada humiliated after his failed defeats in his wars with the Danish sought to expand his kingdom further. Hardrada landed first into the northern regions of England quickly overrunning York. Godwinson marched his army quickly to York, catching the Vikings by surprise and massacring them all including Hardrada. It was then did William attack the south of the kingdom of Westland from the cliffs of Dover, before facing staunch resistance. Godwinson then offered William a concordant - that William be granted sovereignty of the lands of England and Harold of Westland. William agreed, with Normans soon overrunning the northern regions of England while many Saxons fled to Westland. Medieval period English Civil War (1629-1651) The events that inspired the later socialist revolution of Britannia was the . Prior to war reigning English king had caused a rift to form between him and the English parliament. This rift was caused partly by Charles belief in the that granted him complete control of England and Scotland in lieu of parliament (a view imposed onto him by his father ). Charles also caused controversy due to his alleged Roman Catholic beliefs, with the Church of England being the state religion. Relationships between the two parties became worse as Charles dissolved parliament from 1629-1640 in a period known as "Eleven years of Tyranny". Although Charles was able to broker peace with both the Kingdom of France and the Kingdom of Spain the Crown's debts were still to large for the king to pay off with parliament refusing to give any of their revenue towards him. After facing a rebellion in Scotland after failing to create a uniform British church Charles reformed parliament, but quickly dissolved it again after they refused to invade Scotland. This invasion failed with the Scotland instead pushing into English boarders. Unable to raise funds to supply the English army Charles reformed parliament. This parliament started to question Charles legitimacy as a ruler, and accused Charles of supporting Irish Catholic insurgents in Ireland, as well as stating many nobles of being guilty of treason. After an unsuccessful attempt to arrest five members of parliament Charles fled from London to the north of England. This soon led to the country becoming divided as areas of England proclaimed themselves as either allies to parliament (Parliamentarians) or loyal to Charles (Royalists). The early stages of the war went well for Royalist forces, but by 1643 thanks to the leadership of , and (especially the latters during the First Battle of Newbury) the Parliamentarians were able to gain the advantage. In 1647 Charles was handed to parliament by the Scottish where he was placed under house arrest. Aside from a new minor Royalist uprisings parliament had effective control of England, with its dominant leader being Oliver Cromwell, who formed the Rump parliament in an effective military coup to cement Parliamentarian control over England. Charles was put on trial for treason, with Charles being executed by beheading on the 30th January 1649, with the monarchy being effectively abolished and the war ending. The Rump Parliament established an English Republic under the Council of State, abolishing the House of Lords. Charles son Charles II however managed to escape to the Netherlands. Ireland was subjected to harsh treatment by the army with Cromwell ordering the massacre of many Irish Catholics, and eventually ending the Irish Catholic Confederation putting Ireland under British control. The Protectorate (1653-1701) In 1653 the Rump parliament was dissolved under the orders of Cromwell who along with drafted the which vested executive power in the hands of a , a semi-elective head of state who functioned as a military dictator. Cromwell was appointed as Lord Protector, and declared England would now be known as the "Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland". Power was further vested in the hands of the who effectively controlled the government. The Lord Protector also held complete power over British overseas territories, namely the thirteen British Colonies in America. In 1652 dispute between English and Dutch territory in the East Indies brought along the . The Commonwealth scored a decisive victory, with Cromwell able to broker a peace treaty between the Commonwealth and the . As well as this Cromwell engaged in the in 1654. Cromwell died in 1658, naming his successor as . Fleetwood was able to gain the support of the New Model Army, with his aide's including General Lambert. Fleetwood's first decision was to order the execution of who posed a significant political threat, as well as placing under house arrest. Fleetwood soon led a bloodless coup in parliament installing loyal members of the New Model Army, with the army effectively having complete control over Britain and Ireland. Fleetwood then arranged a peace treaty with Spain ending the Anglo-Spanish wars. Fleetwood's appointment brought a wave of optimism to the English as he relaxed some of Cormwells more puritan policies. riding this wave of popularity Fleetwood led the second Anglo-Dutch war, which unlike its predecessor led to an embarrassing defeat. Fleetwood, fearing for his position led the third Anglo-Dutch war due to continued war treaties with France forcing him to do so. This led to another defeat, with parliament forcing Fleetwood to sign a peace treaty with the Dutch. Fleetwood sought to expand Britain's overseas territories, especially in the African continent. He commissioned the formation of the London African Company, which was set up to exploit Gambian gold fields, but soon ignited the slave trade from the West Coast of Africa to the Americas. Fleetwood died in 1692 with Harold Dudley taking power in his place. Scotland also started to build up their own empire in 1695 by trying to establish their own colonies, resulting in the . The Darien Scheme was a financial disaster for Scotland, and in 1701 an Act of Union between England and Scotland was enacted, formally uniting their parliaments. Unification with France (1685-1699) During the reign of French King Louis XIV he started to marry off members of the French royal family to neighbouring states in an attempt to improve the standing of France among these states. The Duchy of Burgundy, an ally of both the Kingdom of France and the Commonwealth of Britannia (who were fierce rivals), was poised to be the next state Louis intended to forge a more permanent alliance with. As France could offer more economic and military aid to Burgundy then Britannia, the Lord Protector of Britannia, Earl John Norfolk, was loathe to lose such an ally. Norfolk personally renounced his previous Catholic beliefs in favour of protestant ones to gain support from the Britannian parliament who then allowed him to order a blockade around Gaul in an effort to halt French expansion. Rather then deter Louis, the French king instead endeavoured to forcibly take the Britannian throne by force, and ordered his fleet to mobilise. In response Norfolk had his military generals rally the armies of Britannia. The Royal army was a well equipped fighting force, trained to a high standard and fed well. Louis although aware of this sent a small force to attack the Britannian isles, and was swiftly repelled as a result. Norfolk ordered the full force of his armies to take France, smashing through Louis's navy in the first Battle of the Channel and landing in Calais. Louis had his forces meet the Britannian army, thinking he would be able to push them off of the nation with support from Burgundy However, Burgundy proved loyal to England, with Grand Duke Charles II of Burgundy giving munitions and supplies to Britannian forces. The Grand Duke reasoned that Burgundys strong ties to Britannia, and his own hesitation regarding a royal marriage between France and Burgundy spurred him into allying with Britannia. The state of Scotland also gave support to Britannia, as did the Netherlands, which were keen to remove France as an imperial power. On November 13th, 1687, Paris was taken and the royal family imprisoned. Louis's firstborn son was appointed as Prince Louis XV of France. Shortly after the invasion of France Norfolk died, appointing Thomas Essex as his successor. Essex formally unified Britannia, Scotland and France together under the 1699 Act of Union. Louis became Duke of France, and Essex the Lord Protector of Britannia, Scotland, Ireland and France. Louis pardoned his father in what was seen as a controversial decision - however the deposed king spent the rest of his life in peace on the island of Corsica. The fall of France was seen as a challenge to the balance of power in Europe - however Philip V of Spain (also related to the French royal family) managed to establish Spain as Gaul's successor and Britannia-France's chief rival. During the late 1770s, Britannia-France found itself in conflict with it's thirteen colonies in North America. Lord Protector Morgan Gloucestershire had enacted several new taxes on the colonies including the Tea Tax and the Stamp Tax, both of which were massively unpopular. The Boston Tea Party was the first act of civil disobedience against these new taxes when American colonists in Boston dumped a shipment of tea into the harbour. Gloucestershire refused to tolerate any more unrest and sent 1,000 troops to patrol the streets of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. The deployment initially succeeded in it's intended goal to restore order and reaffirm the UK's control over the colonies. However, on March 5, 1770, five American colonists were killed in what is known as Britannia as the incident on Kings Street. The United States historically maintained that Britannian soldiers fired upon peaceful protests against Gloucestershire's new taxes, while Britannia argued that the colonists threatened the soldiers, which compelled them to fire. In any case, the incident is often credited with starting the American War of Independence. The American campaign was led by George Washington, a veteran who had participated in Britannia-French conflicts with the Native Americans. Washington found himself in a major uphill battle. Britannia-France had the largest and best-equipped Navy at the time, and plenty of reserve troops ready to be sent to America at a moment's notice. The Britannia-French and Washington's army engaged in several battles which Britannia-France won decisively. After about two years of defeat, Washington began to adopt a guerilla-style of warfare. With this, Washington's performance began to improve. Britannia-French soldiers often themselves taken by surprise and it began wearing down on Britannia-France's resources and morale. Supporters of holding the colonies at the war's start began promoting peace. As well as this several French aristocrats who opposed Britannian rule including the gave huge financial aid to the American rebels, as well as sending over their private armies. On July 4, 1776, the American separatists declared their formal independence from Britannia-France, establishing the United States of America. Gloucestershire made the controversial decision to end the war effort and withdraw all troops from America. Britannia-France's defeat was a major embarrassment and other European monarchies began to lose confidence in Britannia-France. Many began to see it as being in over its head and unable to control it's overseas possessions. French revolution (1789-1799) In 1789 anger over the Britannian rule began to arise in France. In particular, the dictatorial rule of the Britannian governors and the erosion of French culture coupled with the financial neglect of French citizens caused mass civil unrest and hatred towards the aristocracy and clergy. The aristocrats who had funded the American Revolution were in debt, and were unable to pay fines to the Britannian government making France to become almost bankrupt. The French public on the 14th July 1789 stormed the French prison known as the Bastille, soon overthrowing much of the ruling aristocracy. Feudalism was abolished and the first form of human rights, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, was formulated. Eventually Gaulish Prince Louis XVI was executed and Britannian rule renounced. Under the newly proclaimed republic of France conquered large parts of Europe much to the alarm of the Britannian government. Britannia rather then intervene however sought to consolidate its own forces. In 1793 the radical Jacobite movement lead by Maximilien de Robespierre took over the government, instigating the "Period of Terror". After Robespierre's death a coup covertly funded by Britannia appointed military general Napoleon Bonaparte. The Britannian government hoped Napoleon would re-create the union of Britannia and France once again, but instead he formed the first French empire. British Empire Britannian Revolution and Interwar Years :Main articles Britannian Revolution There were several leading figures behind the Socialist revolution. First were German philosophers and , who developed the ideas of socialism and communism, creating the political theory of Marxism. Marxism was slow to spread through Britain compared to both Russia and Germany, where the concepts quickly grew in popularity. However among some of the more educated of the working class the theories were soon spread with the forming of several political parties and organisations. The most powerful of these was the Britannian Revolutionary Party which was supported by several unions. The BRP advocated for early forms of , incorporating elements of and in their rhetoric wishing to end the aristocratic domination over the Britannian government. The first leader of the People's Party was Leopold Marsden who was inspired partly by Marx. In 1919 the end of saw massive discontent and chaos in Britannia-France with France being promised to become an independent nation that year. However Lord Protector Earl Thomas Montague on the advice of several Conservative politicians were keen to commit Britannian forces against the Bolsheviks in Russia, seeing them as a threat to the balance of power in Europe. This provoked outrage from the armed forces who after having fought in a long, costly war in Europe desired peace. An army mutiny broke out on the 7th January when soldiers were told to board ships that would take them to continental Europe. This in turn resulted in strikes and civil unrest across Britannia as industrial production ground to a halt. Opposition to the government saw even the police force rebel against the government, with a red flag being flown over the HMS Kilbride. The BRP taking advantage of the protests soon took the trade unions under their control which had previously tried to diffuse the situation with the government. Montague against the advice of parliament initiated emergency powers, granting him complete control over the nation as the army and workers pushed forward for revolution. Ireland, at that point still under British control, was soon beset under numerous nationalist movements, who were also supported by the socialists. Montague ordered British troops to assemble in Ireland, but this proved impossible with the majority of England, Scotland and Wales in full rebellion with him. In 1919 the Irish nationalists - led by the Irish Republican Army - overthrew the British government in Dublin, although the north remained under British control. Workers led an armed revolt through the capital London on the 10th January 1919, with Buckingham palace being destroyed in the revolts. Montague and his government relocated to Cambridge, with the Eastern and South East regions of England still being under their control. In London the BRP started to coordinate the revolutionaries through a collective leadership of Marsden, Norman Baker, and Thomas Rapley. On the 12th January 1919 Montague began peace talks with Marsden, and on the 15th January the Commonwealth of Britannia was declared a socialist state, with the BRP in power. After the revolution the newly appointed government began to strengthen its power. Unlike the in or the later Socialist Party in Westland the BRP did not create a single party state, instead holding nationwide elections in 1919 with voting rights granted to women. The BRP was subsequently voted into power, promising to support workers rights. The government had several businesses nationalised as well as create a minimum wage, increase the power of trade unions and implement a wide variety of laws that protected workers rights. Housing projects were undertaken as well as plans being unveiled to give universal healthcare to all citizens. These reforms were hugely popular, enabling the BRP to win subsequent elections in the 1920's. However overseas the government faced significant problems - in India mass revolts had led to the 's control to be weakened. The government ordered the rebels in overseas territories to be brutally punished - the Indian rebels were massacred, with an estimated 2,000 casualties. Resistance movements in Sri Lanka (then know as ) and were far less pronounced. The colonies in were much more subservient to the transition, as was the after the Boer War. British Rhodesia agreed to become a protectorate under the Rhodesian House of Dundee, with British territory in west Africa (including ) also welcoming the change. In and the Middle East the British enabled the monarchs there to prolong their rule in return for their "unwavering loyalty". Australia, New Zealand and Canada all did not engage in revolutions, with the Britannian government promising them the right to self rule. After the revolution the newly appointed government realised that it risked becoming an international pariah, with relations with Europe reaching a nadir. In response to this Marsden had several more extreme socialists taken out of the cabinet, and subsequently began a path that sought to implement a mixed economy. Society following the revolution became more egalitarian. This was less to do with government reforms, instead coming from the pessimism and distrust in the traditional establishment stemming from the attitudes from those who had served in the First World War. The 1920's saw the Britannian economy start to pick up as Britannia recovered from WWI. Gaining reparations from Germany the government was able to invest more into its ambitious social projects creating the first true . How conservative opinions soon started to become prevalent again with the Conservative Party winning in 1928. Contrary to expectations the government did little to reverse the popular policies of the BRP. The and the saw growing discontent arise with the government as the country was plunged into economic woes. Unemployment whilst much lower then in France, America and Germany due to the semi-socialist economy nevertheless increased rapidly as the Britannian economy started to grind to a halt. The governments response was at first minimal as it struggled to come to terms with the crisis, before it took decisive action nationalising most remaining private businesses and creating labour programs for workers. Britannian foreign policy was to maintain policies that amounted to keeping peace around the world, with Britannia being one of the first to establish international relations with the . Policy towards its European neighbours were friendly with Britannia being especially close to , Westland, , , and . However as countries such as , , , and fell to fascist and authoritarian regimes Britannia's relations with Europe worsened. As well as this whilst initial relations were positive soon the Britannians and the Soviets fell out especially after took power with most diplomatic ties being cut in 1926. Under Prime Minister appeasement became a major part of Britannian foreign policy, with Britannia refusing to support after Manchuria in 1931. Similarly Britannia allowed Italy to in 1935, as well as ignore Germanys with Austria in 1938. In September 1938 this appeasement reached its height when Glasstenson signed the that allowed Germany to annexe . After signing the agreement Chamberlain famously declared that Europe had achieved " ". World War Two On the 1st September 1939 . Two days later Chamberlain in an address to the nation formally on Germany alongside France, starting the in . The dominions of , and declared war on Germany intermediately, as did and shortly afterwards. The was quickly deployed in France to defend it from a possible German invasion. Post War Period Modern History In 1985 the People's Party under the leadership of Annabel Wilbur managed to win a majority in parliament. Wilbur lessened the power of trade unions in Britannia as well transform the Britannian economy into a more service based one whilst retaining the governments welfare programs and still regulating the private sector, keeping in tradition of Britannia's implementation of democratic socialism. With the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the USSR Britannia began a more vibrant trading relationship with America, the EU and Russia. Britannia experienced significant economic growth under the Wilbur ministry. In the 1990 and 1995 elections the People's Party again under Wilbur managed to win a majority. Wilbur oversaw the devolution of England, Scotland and Wales. Further economic growth accompanied this, with the late 1980's and 1990's being recognised as a new "Golden Age" for the Commonwealth. with US president .]]The 2000 elections saw the Conservative Party under new leader Ryan Golding winning a majority in parliament with several members of the People's Party being accused of embezzlement. In 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks Golding under pressure from parliament formally negotiated the re-joining of to assist in the War on Terror with the United States, deploying troops into Afghanistan soon after. In 2003 Golding bypassed parliament to support the US George Bush government in the invasion of Iraq, despite heavy opposition from his own party. The Conservatives reputation reached an all time nadir after the 2005 July bombings. In the 2005 elections the Conservative Party under Golding managed a narrow victory, despite voter turnout being low. In their initial years the Conservative continued to facilitate economic growth. However the Great Recession in 2008 caused the economy to contract, with the pound starling losing a fraction of its value, and import prices rising. Golding responded by implementing neoliberal policies and austerity. The 2010 elections resulted in the first hung parliament in 70 years with the Socialist Party forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats with Socialist Party Secretary-General Eric Victor becoming prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader John Raaj serving as his deputy. Since then the economy has started to recover. The armed forces participated in the LN intervention during the Libyan civil war in 2011. Rioting in 2011 also took place around the country with 6 people killed. The Socialist Party also managed to legalise between couples in Britannia. The 2012 Britannia hosted the and games. In 2014 Britannia supported the United Socialist Commonwealth during the Oceania Civil War, and currently refuses to see the United Commonwealth as the legitimate government of Oceania. Britannia along with the US and Sierra also was one of the main advocates of the LNSC reform, and have provided military aid to the Turkish government in the 2014 Turkish-Islamic Conflict as well as supporting the Flemish People's Republic in the Flemish Revolution. In 2015 general elections were held in Britannia. The elections saw the Socialist Party win a majority government ending the coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Victor enacted new economic reforms that have seen greater state intervention and central planning within Britannia. Countries and administrative divisions There are four countries in the Commonwealth of Britannia - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England is the largest of countries and also contains the de facto capital and largest city of Britain, London within it, where the Houses of Parliament (the seat of government) is located. The Assembly of England is also located in London. Scotland is the second largest country in Britain, with its capital being Edinburgh. Wales is located to the west of Britain, with Cardiff being its capital. Northern Ireland is located on the island of Ireland with its Assembly being based in Belfast. There is one special administrative region within the Commonwealth; the City of London, which is located in England. Although the subject to British laws they enjoy a limited degree of autonomy. There are fifteen overseas territories of Britannia. These territories are officially governed by Parliament and are subject to Parliaments law. Some (such as Gibraltar and Bermuda) function as special economic zones in a similar manner to the City of London whilst others (such as Dhekelia and the British Indian Ocean Territory) serve as military installations. Britannia also has three state dependencies. Whilst they are not independent nations they are responsible for maintaining their own governments that decide on all but foreign relations which are handled by the central government in London. As such they have been largely restructured following the socialist revolutions to act as deregulated capitalist zones similar to the City of London. Politics Britannia officially maintains a , with the supreme law of Britannia being the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Britannia. The head of state is the Paramount Leader who enjoys limited power and appointed by the House of State. The Head of Government is the prime minister, who is the leader of the majority party in the House of the People. Using a , the Commonwealth maintain two houses's: the House of State ( ) and the House of the People ( ). The House of State is intended to represent the four countries of Britannia, and the House of the People the population as a whole. Traditionally members of the House of State are elected by the regional parliaments of Britannia. The House of the People meanwhile is made up of a representative of each constituency in Britannia, who is elected democratically. The party with the most members in the House of the People is the incumbent government, with the leader of the party being the Prime Minister. Currently the Socialist Party holds a coalition government alongside the Social Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Nationals with leader Eric Victor being prime minister. Multiple political parties exist in the Commonwealth, with the Socialist Party and the Conservative Party having remained the dominant parties in Britannia since 1945. The Cabinet of Ministers is the main executive body of Britannia with members being appointed by the Prime Minister and approved by the Paramount Leader. The Cabinet is made up of a council of ministers who have control over various functions (eg. education, defence, foreign affairs, etc). The Paramount Leader possesses a limited amount of power as head of state. He can declare war, appoint ministers, dissolve parliament and amend laws. The Paramount Leader also functions as head of the military and of the Church of England. In times of war or what the Paramount Leader would deem an emergency he may override all protocols and become the Supreme ruler, having absolute control over Britannia. The Paramount Leader is appointed by the House of State, and retains his position for life unless he chooses to abdicate. Each of the four member countries have a devolved parliament who possess limited power over their respective countries. The Scottish, English, Welsh and Northern Irish governments enjoy a great degree of autonomy with full legislative powers. However the central parliament can veto any law put forward by these devolved parliaments if they deemed unreasonable by a majority vote. Currently the Scottish government is headed by the Scottish nationalist party, and the English and the Welsh the Socialists. The regional parliaments main power is held over agriculture, education, environmental policies, health and social services, housing, law and order, local government, sport and the arts, tourism and economic development and transportation. The central government passes law related to benefits and social security, immigration, defence, foreign policy, employment, broadcasting, trade and industry, energy, consumer rights, data protection, and the Constitution. The Special Administrative region of the City of London serves as one of the primary businesses centres on the planet, which serves as one of the only places where international companies can reside in Britannia. Political Parties Major Parties *Socialist Party of Britannia - A party formed in 1945 after the Second World War, being the successor of the Britannian Revolutionary Party. They are the current ruing party of Britannia holding a majority government in the House of Commons. Their leader is the current prime minister Eric Victor. *Conservative Party of Britannia - The Conservative Party holds the distinction of being one of the oldest parties in the world, and has in the past often held a majority government. The Tories have advocated policies. They currently are the opposition in Britannia with Hugh Byrne serving as their leader. *Social Liberal Democratic Party - The SLDP are currently the third largest party in Britannia. Traditionally the SLDP often advocate , as well as often possessing social policies. *Scottish Nationalist Party - A Scottish party that advocates Scottish independence. Despite traditionally being a centre-right party they have shifted towards the left in recent years to attain more votes from the Scottish electorate. *Party of Wales - The Party of Wales have traditionally held a place at the Welsh Assembly and are one of the oldest parties in Britannia. The CPW follow a ideology as well as also advocates of . It is led by Dominic Constable. *People's Party - A and party that has gained more prominence in recent years among disenfranchised voters. *Britannian Democratic Party - Similar to the People's Party the BDP is a new player on the political scene, being mostly based around the political views of controversial Britannian politician advocating for , and . Minor Parties *Strassonist Party of Britannia - A London based party that wishes Britannia to transition into a Strassonist state like Westland. It performed well in the 1990 elections but a successful smear campaign by the Socialist Party has reduced their standing in elections. *Union of British Nationalists - The UBN promote , and . The UBN website states they are reformists who want to bring Britannia back into "the glory days of Churchill". The leader, John Anderson, has denied the party is racist stating the ruling government is confusing them with the National Front, which has been described as the UBN's unofficial paramilitary wing. Law Foreign Relations :Main article: Foreign relations of the Commonwealth of Britannia Britannia maintains a policy of neutrality in international affairs, despite being a member of . It holds a permanent seat of the League of Nations security council, as well as being a member of the . It is also a , and nation. Britannia is also a key player in the , the International Order of Socialist States, and the . Britannia maintains good relations with most countries within the EU, with particularly good relations with the two other European powers - and France. Britannia also support ex-communist nations like , , , and , within the EU. Britannia have friendly relations between Commonwealth nations, such as , , , and . Britannia maintains good relations with the majority of nations in the IOSS. In particular Britannia has full trade with opposing the US embargo. Despite substantial differences in their social policies Britannia has sought to attain good relations with Westland. Currently the two neighbour nations have vibrant trading relations, but Britannia's slow progress concerning LGBT+ rights has drawn the ire of Westlandic politicians. However reportedly Britannia's alleged support of the revolutionaries in the Flemish Revolution has led to some countries accusing Britannia and Westland as having a special relationship. Britannia also have good relations with observer states within IOSS such as Bulgaria, and . Britannia was a strong supporter of the presidency of , and retain close ties with . Britannia has maintained stable relations with the United States, Sierra, France, and . Britannia retains heavy economic ties between all the nations, but has resolved to "neither support nor oppose any of the current world power". Many see Britannia's membership in NATO as a clear contradiction of this as well as their recent opposition to Russia during the 2014 Ukraine crisis. Military Britannia's armed forces are known as the Britannian Armed Forces, and are divided into three branches - the Britannian Naval Services (split into the Britannian Marines and Britannian Navy) the Britannian Air Forces and the Britannian Army. The Ministry of Defence handles matters related to defence, with the Defence Council controlling the military directly. The Paramount Leader serves as the Commander in Chief of the military. Britannia is a nuclear weapons state, and maintains one of the most powerful military force on Earth with a defence budget of £45.4 billion (around $74.2 billion). Britannia's nuclear program is known as the Trident Nuclear program and consists of four Vanguard-class submarines each armed with Trident II D-5 ballistic missiles. Britannia has the capability to fire thermonuclear weapons. One Trident submarine is always on active patrol around the world and its location disclosed; another is always nominally undergoing maintenance and the last two on training and naval excises. The first nuclear weapon (known as Operation Hurricane) launched by Britannia was a 25kt weapon detonated in 1952 on the Montebello Islands, West Australia. The current Trident program was started in the 1980's, and has been retained despite opposition to its renewal. Geography Economy Britannia's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of large enterprises, and private trading and service ventures. Its mixed economy has been praised as being a prime example of a booming private sector working alongside a state dominated one, similar to the social democracies of the Nordic countries. Britannia has the third largest economy in Europe and the eighth largest economy in the world. The national currency of Britannia is the , which holds more value then both the and the . Britannia has a large industrial and service sector, with primary exports including coal, steel, automotive vehicles and components, and petroleum based fuel products. Consumer goods such as high quality electronics, pharmaceuticals, entertainment (such as television, films and music), and food are produced in Britannia. Britannia's pharmaceutical and computer industries have seen significant development, with its primary markets being located in Europe. Britannia has sought to balance out welfare and socialist policies with capitalism that allows it economic growth. Britannia has been praised for maintaining a high standard of living, although critics say that the cost of living is expensive. Britannia's state owned industries have been described as using a "bottom up" approach with being carried out via collective workers councils. A variety of businesses sectors are owned by the central government, but workers councils largely run the businesses on behalf of the government, who would ultimately have the final say on how the businesses is run. The central government along with labour unions formulate workers rights, wages and wealth distribution whilst the workers councils decide on how the business should be run in a way that would not only increase profits but also satisfy the needs of the workers. Each worker is entitled to posses one vote whenever new company policy is formulated. This method has proven to be controversial as the government has been accused of not monitoring businesses that do not let their workers councils make policy decisions instead relying on a select group of . Unemployment has been a chronic problem in Britannia especially since the , with figures being as high as 15.4% in 2009. Forced measures have resulted in accusations that the government has failed to maintain the welfare state nominally supported, with having become increasingly common. The election of Eric Victor in 2010 saw the removal of austerity, with unemployment stabilising at 8% in 2013. Private ownership is allowed in Britannia although it functions under a degree of regulations. Around 51% of the economy is privately owned, most notably in the service sector which has expanded in Britannia. Britannia expects most companies to comply with labour laws and usually are controlled partly by unions. Special economic zones exist in various places in Britannia, most notable the City of London, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Bermuda, Jersey and Guernsey. These regions have much less government regulation then that of Britannia proper, and thus have become economic hubs for foreign investment and companies. The City of London especially has a large concentration of millionaires and has been compared to , which itself served as a special economic zone before it was passed to . Britannia's largest export partners are Westland, , Gaul, , and . Its largest import partners include , Westland, Germany, , and Gaul. Key industries in Britannia include the tourism industry, which has seen a notable rise in recent years thanks to the reopening of a restored Buckingham Palace and the 2012 London Olympics. Welfare The British government currently maintains an expansive welfare system which aims to provide facilities for healthcare, housing, employment, education, and social security. Every citizen is granted by the Constitution the right to access of the welfare state and its facilities. The first incarnation of a welfare state in Britannia dates back to the 1906 general elections, in which the Liberal Party implemented welfare reforms following the rise of the Labour Party. The Britannian revolution saw an expansive welfare system created, with the creation of the National Health Service. Also after the socialist revolution, the government became committed to provide affordable housing in Britannia, with housing prices forcibly slashed as they became reformed as council houses. Communal apartments were also created for those on low income, and almost all stated basic needs (such as heating, water and electricity) are still subsidised partly by the government. In 2000 the Conservative government implemented controversial welfare reform that saw previous government subsidies to housing and employment cut in order to "stimulate the economy". The Golding ministry from 2005 furthered this by slowly increasing austerity and making further cuts mostly in education and employment. These changes became hugely unpopular with unemployment rates became astronomically high in 2009. The current socialist government have abolished austerity, reversed most of the extreme cuts and have promised to implement subsidies formally axed as well as increase employment through the expansion of the armed forces. Demographics Religion The state religion of Britannia is the - however in practice Britannia has . 68.9% of people identify themselves as , 24.3% / , 4.4 , 1.3 , and 1.1% other faiths. is the only religion banned in Britannia, although the Freedom of Religion Act 1992 has rendered this ban to be largely ceremonial. Education Healthcare Britannia maintains a program centred around the state supported National Health Service (NHS). Spending on the NHS remains a government priority with all permanent citizens being registered to be treated at NHS facilities. Around 8.1% of the GDP is spent on NHS facilities and staff. A 2011 report saw Britannia ranked as fifth in terms of healthcare facilities by the World Health Organisation. General Practitioners (GP's) deal primarily in general healthcare, with hospitals being used to provide specialised treatments. Britannia has approximately 1 GP for every 250 people. Compared to other western nations both doctors and GP's are paid seemingly low wages. Life expectancy in Britannia numbers at 80.1 years for men and 83.5 for females. Culture Category:Nations Category:Commonwealth of Britain Category:Countries Category:Altverse